Journal #1 1. Creation: Where did I come from? I believe that God created the Big Bang Theory to create the whole universe. And then it eventually made the Earth. Then there began life and over time it eventually made me. 2. Theodicy: Why is there suffering? There is suffering in the universe because there are ways to have good. Since stuff in the world can seem bad, the really good things seem great. 3. Ethics-How Should I Live? I believe that I should love among the laws and good morals. Also help the people who need help. 4. Destiny-What Happens After I Die? I believe that I will go to heaven and join Jesus, God, and other loved ones.
Journal #2
Myself: "Uhhhhh, hello...i have so many questions have to ask!" Ok, what really happens when we die?"
Guru:"When you die, you will either be reincarnated into another body or achieve Moksha and be united with Brahman.
Myself: "Is the world really an illusion?"
Guru: Yes, the world is actually an illusion. The only thing real in the universe is Brahman.
Myself: "What happens when you don't have good karma by the time you die?"
Guru: "Well if you have bad karma from a previous life then you will be reincarnated into a lower caste."
Myself: "Thank you so much! Goodbye."
Journal #3
In the last three days of meditation, it felt very interesting to be "mindful." I always had the same routine of lying down on my bed and shutting my eyes. It was interesting because I have never tried to do it before. It was difficult to meditate because there were so many distractions. There were so many little noises that kept me from meditating. The thoughts that repetitively kept on coming back to me were thoughts of actually keeping my mind clear and meditating. Though I realized that that did not relax me. So then I tried to focus on my heartbeat and breathing and became really relaxed. The thought of inhaling and exhaling seemed to be extremely soothing and it worked well for my meditation. To be honest, after I figured out how to be mindful on Friday, it made it a lot easier to relax on Saturday and Sunday. These moments of meditation made me realize how rushed and stressful life could be. So on Saturday and Sunday, I tried really hard to reach that same feeling of relaxation I felt on Friday. All of my anxiety suddenly went away and I felt a wave of relief and calmness. Whenever I feel some stress in the future, I believe that this method will relax me and help myself regenerate to do whatever I need to do and continue with life.
Journal #4
To be honest if I were God giving the 10 Commandments to Moses, I probably would not change them. I believe that God created those 10 and only those 10 Commandments because he knew what he was doing. Since God is all-knowing powerful then I would not change the rules that he set out for us. If we were to add and take away any Commandments, then it would change the way we worship and follow God. People have been following the 10 Commandments for thousands of years and if we changed them then the world could be a totally different place. I believe that the way God set out the 10 Commandments is perfect and that it should not be changed.
Journal #5
The Parable of the Good Samaritan relates to a story when I was younger. I was going to church and there was an old lady walking behind me. I only opened the door for myself and not even bothering to help the woman. The Parable of the Good Samaritan would have helped me in this situation because then I would have known to help other people. Instead of ignoring other people's needs, it taught me to help people who need help without pertaining to my own needs.
1. Creation: Where did I come from?
I believe that God created the Big Bang Theory to create the whole universe. And then it eventually made the Earth. Then there began life and over time it eventually made me.
2. Theodicy: Why is there suffering?
There is suffering in the universe because there are ways to have good. Since stuff in the world can seem bad, the really good things seem great.
3. Ethics-How Should I Live?
I believe that I should love among the laws and good morals. Also help the people who need help.
4. Destiny-What Happens After I Die?
I believe that I will go to heaven and join Jesus, God, and other loved ones.
Journal #2
Myself: "Uhhhhh, hello...i have so many questions have to ask!" Ok, what really happens when we die?"
Guru:"When you die, you will either be reincarnated into another body or achieve Moksha and be united with Brahman.
Myself: "Is the world really an illusion?"
Guru: Yes, the world is actually an illusion. The only thing real in the universe is Brahman.
Myself: "What happens when you don't have good karma by the time you die?"
Guru: "Well if you have bad karma from a previous life then you will be reincarnated into a lower caste."
Myself: "Thank you so much! Goodbye."
Journal #3
In the last three days of meditation, it felt very interesting to be "mindful." I always had the same routine of lying down on my bed and shutting my eyes. It was interesting because I have never tried to do it before. It was difficult to meditate because there were so many distractions. There were so many little noises that kept me from meditating. The thoughts that repetitively kept on coming back to me were thoughts of actually keeping my mind clear and meditating. Though I realized that that did not relax me. So then I tried to focus on my heartbeat and breathing and became really relaxed. The thought of inhaling and exhaling seemed to be extremely soothing and it worked well for my meditation. To be honest, after I figured out how to be mindful on Friday, it made it a lot easier to relax on Saturday and Sunday. These moments of meditation made me realize how rushed and stressful life could be. So on Saturday and Sunday, I tried really hard to reach that same feeling of relaxation I felt on Friday. All of my anxiety suddenly went away and I felt a wave of relief and calmness. Whenever I feel some stress in the future, I believe that this method will relax me and help myself regenerate to do whatever I need to do and continue with life.
Journal #4
To be honest if I were God giving the 10 Commandments to Moses, I probably would not change them. I believe that God created those 10 and only those 10 Commandments because he knew what he was doing. Since God is all-knowing powerful then I would not change the rules that he set out for us. If we were to add and take away any Commandments, then it would change the way we worship and follow God. People have been following the 10 Commandments for thousands of years and if we changed them then the world could be a totally different place. I believe that the way God set out the 10 Commandments is perfect and that it should not be changed.
Journal #5
The Parable of the Good Samaritan relates to a story when I was younger. I was going to church and there was an old lady walking behind me. I only opened the door for myself and not even bothering to help the woman. The Parable of the Good Samaritan would have helped me in this situation because then I would have known to help other people. Instead of ignoring other people's needs, it taught me to help people who need help without pertaining to my own needs.